USA > New York > The men of New York: a collection of biographies and portraits of citizens of the Empire state prominent in business, professional, social, and political life during the last decade of the nineteenth century, Vol. I > Part 23
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Law was the profession that Mr. Hotchkiss had chosen for himself, and with a view to obtaining a practical knowledge of legal procedure as early as possible, he accepted, after completing his college course, the appointment of clerk of the Surrogate's Contt of Cayuga county, at Auburn, N. Y. The surrogate at that time was John D. Teller, whose name became familiar throughout the state by his candidacy for judge of the Court of Appeals on the
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WILLIAM H. HOTCHKISS
Democratic ticket in 1895. Mr. Hotchkiss served as clerk two years, 1887-89. Meantime, in IxxS. he was admitted to the bar. Judge Teller took him into partnership, and he practiced at Auburn, in the
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firm of Teller & Hotchkiss, till 1891. He then moved to the larger field of Buffalo, where he entered into partnership with E. L. Parker, and where he has since pursued his profession. The firm of Parker & Hotchkiss has risen rapidly in both influence and volume of business, and now ranks among the leading
CHARLES R. HUNTLEY
commercial and banking law firms of Buffalo. Mr. Hotchkiss is a lecturer on the law of personal prop- erty in the Buffalo Law School.
The great problems of municipal government, so long neglected in American cities, were just begin- ning to receive serious public attention when Mr. Hotchkiss began the real work of his manhood. To the study of these problems he addressed himself with the energy of youth, the earnestness of strong con- victions, and an honest desire to serve right pur- poses. He has contributed articles frequently to the Review of Reviews, Munser's, Outing, and the Buffalo Illustrated Express, his range of subject in- luding travels as well as municipal problems. In the latter field, however, he has become recognized
as an anthority. He wrote a pamphlet monograph on " Urban Self Government " in 1892, and ha- since delivered numerous lectures on that and kindred subjects. His interest in politics has been in the line of promoting ideas, rather than in the actual work of machines. He took an active part in exposing the ballot frauds in Buffalo in 1892, and has served as secretary of the committee on law and legislation of the Buffalo Citizens' Association for three years. He is also an active member of the Buffalo Republican League, having served two years on the executive com- mittee, and one year as editor of its organ, The Opinion. He is a member of Chi Psi college fraternity, and served as editor in chief of its magazine, Purple and Gold, from 1886 to 1890. He belongs, also, to the Sons of the American Revolution, the Buffalo Club, the Liberal Club, the Inde- pendent Club, and the New York State Bar Association. Especially worthy of mention is his work in connection with the drafting of the reform charter of Buffalo.
PERSONAL CHRONOLOGY- William Horace Hotchkiss was born at Whitehall, Washington county, N. Y., September 7, 1864; was educated at Glidden's Classical School, Jamestown. N. Y., and Hamilton College, Clinton. N. Y., from which he graduated in 1886 : was clerk of the Surrogate's Court of Cayuga county, 1887-89 ; was admitted to the bar in 1888 ; has practiced late in Buffalo since 1891 ; married Katherine Tremaine Bush of Buffalo April 25, 1895.
Charles RR. buntley belongs to the electric age. Within the memory of young men a new science, and a new profession and industry, have sprung into existence, revolutionizing the world in many of its features, destined evidenth to transform the mechanics of life. The magician's wand has been outstripped in this epoch of practicai wonders. We live in an age of pioneers into the mo -! extensive and promising realms that have ever invited the genius of man. Electricity has attracted to it- service a class of men marked by keen activity and American optimism. The science seems to have no place for old-fashioned people. Those who serve it must be like it -quick and full of force. Such a man is Charles R. Huntley.
Mr. Huntley went to Buffalo a few years ago to accept the position of secretary of what was then the
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Brush Electric Light Co. This company was subse- juently changed to the Buffalo General Electric Co., of which Mr. Huntley is now general manager. into his position he has thrown all the energy and enthusiasm of a vigorous mind and body. While making no pretense to inventive power, he has suc- . ofully striven to master the commercial side of electricity, and to understand it thoroughly as a com- Julity. It sounds strange to talk of the summer a loud's flash as a commodity, but to Mr. Huntley it « merely that and nothing more. His business is to «'ll electricity at so much a horse power. This requires careful computation of the cost of every kilo of electricity, for in no industry is competition keener, st figured down to a closer basis, than in this of tarnishing electric power.
Few men are better known in the electrical world than Mr. Huntley, and his standing among hi- associates is attested by his election to the office of president of the National Electric Light Association, composed of right hundred members. He was chiefly mstrumental in bringing the yearly con- vention of that body to Buffalo in 1892. He is a frequent contributor to electrical journals, and is a member of the American Institute of Electrical Engineers.
Previously to connecting himself with his present business, Mr. Huntley had xperience in the oil fields of Pennsyl- vania, where he was the agent of the Standard Oil Co. At one time he was in the brokerage business at Bradford, Penn., and while a resident of that city lecame prominent in its local affairs. He w.Is elected school comptroller for four wars. He served a term also as select waneilman. These positions he filled tom a sense of civic duty. He is a supporter of the Democratic party, but he has not sought nominations, nor interested himself in polities beyond what the duty every voter requires.
Mr. Huntley is a native of the Empire Alte, and was born at Winfield, Herkimer wounty, where his father was a merchant. He was educated in the district school, and graduated from the Free Academy at U tica, his parents having moved to that Ry. His first business training was ob- 'amed as a clerk in a hardware store. Next he entered the service of Remington & Sons, the famous sun and typewriting-machine makers. He con- : med here for several years, until the oil excitement
in Pennsylvania attracted him to the Keystone State. Wherever Mr. Huntley has lived he has won hosts of friends, and he is a member of the principal social clubs of Buffalo. He is a Mason in high standing, and is a member of the Episcopal church.
PERSONAL CHRONOLOGY-Charles Rus- sell Huntley was born at Winfield, N. Y., October 12, 1854 : graduated from Utica Academy in 1870; was engaged in the hardware business and with Remington & Sons, Ilion, N. Y., 1870-17; married Ida L. Richardson of Buffalo June 12, 1878; was agent of the Standard Oil Co. in Pennsylvania, 1877-83; conducted a brokerage business at Brad- ford, Penn., 1883-88 ; has been connected with the Buffalo General Electric Co. and its predecessors since 1888.
WILLIS K. JACKSON
Ulillis IR. Jackson is a type of the younger class of Buffalo business men whose energy and fore- sight have had much to do with the remarkable growth of the city in the last twenty years. Entering
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business there just at the time when the " Buffalo service he passed through the grades of corporal, 2d sergeant, 1st sergeant, 2d lieutenant, and 1st lieutenant. Though he has never been ambitions boom " was setting in, his rapid advance may almost be deemed representative of that of the town. And yet nothing has been further from Mr. Jackson's ' for political honors, he is an earnest Republican. line of work than mere booming or speculating. and a member of the Buffalo Republican League. He belongs to the Asbury Methodist Church, and is esteemed and respected by a large circle of social and business acquaintances. His has been rather the substantial work of the manufacturer and trader, whose enterprising spirit, reaching out constantly after new business, and mak- ing the city the center of operations that cover a considerable part of the country, has given to the growth of Buffalo the substantial and permanent character that is its chief distinguishing feature.
Mr. Jackson is only about thirty-five years old. Born in the West, he reversed the advice of Horace Greeley and went East, though he can hardly be held responsible for that, since he was but six years old at the time. His education was obtained in the Buffalo public schools, from which he graduated at the age of sixteen. With the energy of a youth who finds himself freed at last from school fetters, young Jackson sought and found employment with the Tug Association on Central wharf. This, however, occupied him only during the summer. The months at his disposal during the season when navigation on the lakes was closed, he determined to use to improve his education, and he accordingly entered Professor Herman Poole's Practical School, where he took a full commercial course, besides a special course in higher mathematics. This occupied two winters, his summers, meantime, being employed on Central wharf, first with the Tug Association, and then with forwarding and commission houses. After this Mr. Jackson worked for five years in a mercan- tile office.
When he was twenty-five years old he became connected with the cooperage business of his father- in-law, Thomas Tindle, who gladly availed himself of Mr. Jackson's business training and talents, tak- ing the young man into his business at first on a salary and within a short time as a partner. The branching out of the firm into manufacturing dates from 1892. The first mill was built at Saginaw, Mich. The experiment of making their own stock in the very region where the material grew. turned out so well that the Saginaw mill was soon duplicated by one at St. Charles. Then another was built at Bellaire, another at Gaylord, and finally a fifth at Alba. Thus the products of five large cooperage factories in the Michigan forests are brought to Buffalo for distribution by this single firm.
Mr. Jackson carly became interested in military matters, enlisting as a private in Company D, 65th regiment. He was afterward transferred to Company F, and won rapid promotion. In the six years of his
PERSONAL CHRONOLOGY -- Willis K. Jackson was born at Edgerton, Wis., September 22, 1861 ; moved to Buffalo in 1867, and was educated in the public schools there : was employed in forward- ing and commission houses and in a mercantile office. 1877-86 ; married Annette Tindle of Buffalo Set- tember 22, 1886 ; has been a member of the firm of Tindle & Co., cooperage manufacturers, since 1888.
William Pryor Letchworth has devoted his life, for more than a quarter of a century, to philanthropic public service. His parents were members of the Society of Friends, whose lives were those of quiet usefulness ; and the boy, looking out upon the larger world before him, early determined that if in God's providence the way should open, his own efforts and means should be devoted to the betterment of his fellow-men.
Going to Buffalo from New York in 1848, Mr. Letchworth established with Samuel F. and Pascal P'. Pratt the firm of Pratt & Letchworth, manufacturers of saddlery hardware and malleable iron. He was managing partner of that prosperous and constantly enlarging business until 1869, when he felt that he might retire from its engrossing cares, and devote his time to those works of usefulness that were the polar star of his life's endeavor. In intervals of rest he had profited by foreign travel, for which his literary tastes, and his cultivated habits of close and constant observation, had well prepared him. His interest in Buffalo affairs had always been most active. For three years he was the president of the Buffalo Fine Arts Academy, and contributed much to its success. He served also as president of the Buffalo Historical Society, and was active upon many local boards.
In 1873 the board of state commissioners of public charities, organized under the laws of 1867, was changed by statute, and became the state board of charities ; and in April of that year Mr. Letchworth was appointed by Governor Dix commissioner of the 8th judicial district, to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Dr. Samuel Eastman. In these new and unexpected duties his sympathies were at once aroused by the pitiable condition of homeless atal destitute children, of whom a considerable per- centage were at that time in the county and city
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almshouses throughout the state, exposed to the most degrading associations ; and he resolved that he would not rest until those unfortunates were removed from the vicious influences of that poisoned moral atmosphere. During 1873 he effected much in reforming this abuse, and in the annual report of the lward to the legislature in March, 1874, he prepared that suggestive portion re- lating to child-saving work in which he directed attention to the great abuse of rearing children in poorhouses. In January, 1875, he made an important report on the subject, the details of which covered every poorhouse and almshouse in the state except the immense establish- ment in New York county containing about 800 children, which was reserved for further examination. In his report Mr. Letchworth recommended that all children between the ages of two and sixteen years be removed from these institutions, and placed in families or asylums suited to their care and educa- tion, and that their admission to pauper establishments be forbidden in the future. l'he recommendation was adopted, and an important act was passed during the session, which has come to be known as . the "Children's Law." The county of New York subsequently appealed to the legislature for exemption from the law; Init when Mr. Letchworth's report on the county institutions was made in January, 1×76, which completed his report of the whole state, the appeal was denied, and this long standing abuse in the New York state system was completely abolished.
In 1876 Mr. Letchworth submitted an exhaustive report on the condition of homeless children in the various reformatory institu- tions of the state. These were 136 in number and provided for about 18,000 children, and with only two exceptions Mr. Letchworth had personally visited every institution. He presented authoritative infor- in ition regarding each that proved of the highest value in forming and instructing public opinion as to the last methods of conducting this important branch of . haritable work. From year to year his labors were continued, and his painstaking investigations and mitured opinions proved of such worth that his jeiblished reports and addresses have become ac- know ledged authorities in the wide domain cover- ing the relations of the state to the dependent . lasses.
In 1874 he had been elected vice president of. the state board of charities, and upon the death of J. V. I. Pruyn, in 1878, he was unanimously elected president. From the beginning of his public service he has devoted his entire time to the work without compensation.
WILLIAM PRYOR LETCHWORTH
His attention was turned at this time to the care of the insane, and he deemed it of importance to learn from personal observation the methods adopted elsewhere. In 1881, accordingly, he spent several months in Great Britain and on the continent, giv- ing his entire time to the inspection of European in- stitutions, and seeking information that might aid him in his duties. Upon his return, his work upon " The Care of The Insane in Foreign Countries " was published, and found immediate recognition by alienists throughout the United States as a valuable treatise for their information and guidance. Its clear judgments and practical suggestions accomplished much good in our state hospitals and private asylums.
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After holding the position for a decade, Mr. Letchworth voluntarily retired from the presidency of the board of charities, feeling entitled to a release from responsibilities so long sustained. He con- tinued, however, to be a member of the board, as commissioner for the 8th judicial district. He has
board of charities in April, 1873, vice president in June, 1874, and president in March, 1878 ; was prest. dent of the National Conference of Charities, September, 1883 ; received the degree of Doctor of Laws from the University of New York " for distinguished service to the state" February 9, 1893.
THOMAS LOTHROP
devoted his time in recent years to official duties, to the exacting requirements of an extensive correspond- ence, and to the preparation of many valuable publi- cations relating to public charities. Largely through his efforts the state has established at Sonyea, near Mount Morris, the Craig Colony for the care and treatment of epileptics. His country home at Glen Iris, at the Falls of the Genesce, has been a busy center for charitable work, extending far beyond the borders of his own state, wherever the needs of his fellow-men have sought recognition and help.
PERSONAL CHRONOLOGY-William Pryor Letchworth was born at Brownville, Jefferson county. V. Y., May 26, 1823 : engaged in manufacturing in Buffalo. 1848-65 ; was appointed a member of the state
Thomas Lothrop is one of the most distinguished practitioners of medi- cine in Buffalo, a city that supports several medical colleges, and is noted for i :- skilled physicians and surgeons. Dr Lothrop's ancestors were among th .. earliest settlers of New England, and he is a lineal descendant of the Rev. John Lothrop, who came from England and settled in Scituate, Mass., in 1634. Dr. Lothrop prepared for college under private tutors, graduated from the Liberal Insti- tute at Clinton, N. Y., in 1855, and entered the same year upon a three years course of medical study at the University of Michigan. From the medical depart ment of that institution he received the degree of M. D. in 1858. The next year he went to Buffalo to practice his pro- fession.
His life in Buffalo began under favorable auspices, for he was invited to take charge of the professional work of Dr. John D. Hill, an eminent physician in his day. who desired a European vacation from: his labors. On Dr. Hill's return Dr. Lothrop opened an office at Black Rock. where he practiced for eleven years, and established his reputation. Moving bach to the center of the city in 1x71, he ha- since been actively engaged in practice. and in the performance of his professorial duties at Niagara University. His has been a busy life. In addition to practicing and teaching medicine. he has been, since 1879, senior editor of the Buffalo Medical and Surgical Journal. He is physician !!! chief of St. Francis Hospital and the Women: - Hospital ; consulting physician of the Hospital of the Sisters of Charity, the Providence Retreat, and the Erie County Hospital ; Fellow of the American Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists : ar. he was appointed by Governor Flower in 1892 . manager of the Buffalo State Hospital.
Dr. Lothrop has been deeply interested in ti. eleemosynary institutions of Buffalo, especially 3 regards the medical aspect of such establishment Outside the immediate practice of his profession.
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he has devoted time and study to the beneficent work of the Church Charity Foundation of Buffalo, of which he is president, and to the cause of educa- non in general and of medical training in particular. Itis long connection with the medical department .. Niagara University, dating from its establishment, hus made him an earnest advocate of higher stand- unils of study and teaching for those who are to Ixcome physicians and surgeons. The esteem in which he is held by the members of his profession wis evidenced by his election in 1893 as president of the Buffalo Academy of Medicine.
Dr. Lothrop served one term as superintendent of education of Buffalo, in 1870-72, and has never lo t his interest in the city schools. In 1890 he was appointed a trustee of the State Normal School at Buffalo. In all the many offices and positions of responsibility held by him, Dr. Lothrop has shown rare faithfulness, capacity for - work, and executive ability. He is one of the strong men of his profession and of the city of Buffalo. Niagara University has conferred upon him doctorates of medicine and of philosophy. In politics Dr. Lothrop is a Democrat, but he has never taken an active part in political affairs except when nominated and elected viperintendent of education.
PERSONAL CHRONOLOGY- Thomas Lothrop was born at Province- tren, Mass., April 16, 1836 ; graduated from the Liberal Institute, Clinton, N. Y., in 1855, and from the medical department of the University of Michigan in 1858 ; was superintendent of education, Buffalo, 1810-72; has practiced medicine in Buf- ralo since 1859; has been professor of obstetrics in the medical department of Viagara University since 1883.
Louis William Marcus was lected surrogate of Erie county when only thirty-two years old, and he is prob- ably the youngest man that ever held the office. When one remembers that this is the third county in the state as regards size and population, and that the work of the surrogate is correspondingly important, ofle can appreciate the confidence that the voters have placed in this young man. Mr. Marcus has not been long in office, but he has already shown such grasp of details, talent for concen- tration, and equipoise of judgment, as give assurance v: a successful and highly creditable term of service.
Louis W. Marcus is a thorough Buffalonian. He was born in the Queen City, and there he has always lived. This fact explains why he has become so fully imbued with the spirit of the place. He loves Buffalo, and his enthusiasm for his native city has won friends for Buffalo and for himself. His early education was obtained in the Buffalo schools and in Williams Academy. After graduating from the high school he entered Cornell University, where he ob- tained the degree of LL. B.
He naturally turned his mind toward the law ; ambitious youth commonly find this the most attractive of the professions. After exhaustive study, he was admitted to the bar when twenty-five years old. His first partnership was formed in 1890, when he made one of the firm of Swift, Weaver & Marcus. Two years later Mr. Swift withdrew, and
LOUIS WILLIAM MARCUS
the firm continued as Weaver & Marcus until the death of Mr. Weaver in February, 1894.
Mr. Marcus has taken a strong interest in politics ever since his majority, though his part until recently
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has been that of the citizen rather than of the poli- tician. When the time came for the election of a new surrogate of Erie county, in the fall of 1895, there was a general feeling of revolt from machine politics, which had once wrecked the Republican party in the county, afterward the Democratic, and
JOSEPH B. MAYER
which was then beginning to reappear in the Repub- lican party. The feeling expressed itself in a desire to choose Republican candidates from outside the ranks of the older and more familiar politicians. For the office of surrogate, as for other offices, the people demanded an infusion of new blood, a can- didate of independent character, who should feel that his sole obligations were to the people who had elected him. It was in response to this demand that the county convention placed in nomination Louis W. Marcus. It was not done without a sharp struggle, but the triumph was all the more notable for the opposition that had preceded it. The same faith in Mr. Marcus's ability and honesty that had
led to his nomination secured his election by a large majority.
Judge Marcus stands high as a Mason, holding membership in Ancient Landmark Lodge, No. 441. F. & A. M., and Adytum Chapter, Buffalo Consi -- tory, 32d degree. He is also a member of the Inde. pendent Order of Red Men. While in college he joined the Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity, and has since become a mem. ber of the D. K. E. Club of New York. In the social life of Buffalo he figures a> a prominent member of the new and growing Phoenix Club, of which he is president.
PERSONAL CHRONOLOGY- Louis William Marcus was born at Buffalo May 18, 1863 ; was educated in the But- falo schools and Cornell University ; was admitted to the bar in 1888 ; married Ray R. Dahlman of Buffalo November 19, 1889 ; was elected surrogate of Erie count: in November, 1895.
Bosepb JS. Mayer is a promoter of new enterprises. He is a representa - tive of a class of men in the modern world who find unplowed fields for capital to develop. Invention and enterprise have gone hand in hand under the guidance of such men as Mr. Mayer, who blaze the way for industry and progress. The past decade has witnessed a marvelous expan- sion of American cities. The trend of humanity has set in that direction, and there has been an ever increasing demand for more room in urban communities. To supply this demand, vast tracts of waste or farm land must be reclaimed from nature and transformed into city lots.
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